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Re:Some Google Photos videos in backups were sent to strange... by thedance on Tuesday February 04, 2020 @11:01AM (#22237072)
I get an absolutely endless parade of other people's data to my gmail account. Doctors send me MRI scans. Bankers send me foreclosure notices. Airlines send me tickets. Undertakers send me condolences. The preponderance of evidence suggests that relying on individual vigilance on a large scale does not work as well as relying on the vigilance of large organizations.
Re:Some Google Photos videos in backups were sent to strange... by drewg123 on Tuesday February 04, 2020 @11:31AM (#22237499)
I assume that this not because Google is midirecting email, but rather because your email address is quite close to that of others.

Mine is just my last name @gmail.com. It is a rather uncommon name, and I've met many others with that name, as I've accidentally received email intended for them.

Re:Some Google Photos videos in backups were sent to strange... by dehrmann on Tuesday February 04, 2020 @11:39AM (#22237610)
> Mine is just my last name @gmail.com. It is a rather uncommon name

I'm in the same boat. And uncommon, but not rare. I've gotten emails intended for my brother. One time, I got a collector emailing about something with a rental car crash that I previously got confirmation email for. Recently, a Dutch woman discovered email and think she has my email address. It's amazing how many websites don't verify email addresses.

Re:Some Google Photos videos in backups were sent to strange... by boring_twenties on Wednesday February 05, 2020 @01:50AM (#22244582)
Some asshole bought a Lexus and entered my email address. I now get his loan statements and service reminders, on top of the advertising. They are all from noreply@, of course, and I would need to know the password to the account to unsubscribe. Sure I could reset it, but I'm not actually sure if it's legal?
Re:Some Google Photos videos in backups were sent to strange... by thedance on Tuesday February 04, 2020 @01:14PM (#22238919)
If Eurocrats really want to save the Internet they'd fine companies for sending anything to recipients who haven't been double-verified.
Re:Some Google Photos videos in backups were sent to strange... by wizzwizz4 on Tuesday February 04, 2020 @02:17PM (#22239762)
What does “double-verified” even mean? Though, in case you were wondering, GDPR requires continued consent for companies to use your email address; they have to delete it if they don't keep getting permission to keep it.
Re:Some Google Photos videos in backups were sent to strange... by thedance on Tuesday February 04, 2020 @02:32PM (#22239943)
"Verified double opt-in" is a term of art in the world of email. It means you provide your address to consent to emails and you confirm the address with a link sent via email.

https://mailchimp.com/help/about-double-opt-in/

Re:Some Google Photos videos in backups were sent to strange... by darkwater on Tuesday February 04, 2020 @11:04AM (#22237115)
Your comment is quite anecdotal I would dare to say, and anyway the scope of single individuals messing up is quite, quite smaller than the scope of $LARGE_COMPANY. Even if you sum all those individuals.
Re:Some Google Photos videos in backups were sent to strange... by Spooky23 on Tuesday February 04, 2020 @11:40AM (#22237626)
Lol.

The potential impact of a large company screwing up is massive. The risk is lower.

I would assert that the probability of an individual overexposing their own data in any one year period is probably close to 75%.

In my neighborhood, 5-6 cars are broken into every week, because the owners don’t lock the doors. If a process that simple isn’t handled well, folks aren’t handling more complex/abstract processes.

Re:Some Google Photos videos in backups were sent to strange... by gowld on Tuesday February 04, 2020 @01:15PM (#22238932)
How do I leak my email or photos from my local machine? And if I do, then I'm likely still leaking my local cache/copy even if I use cloud.
Re:Some Google Photos videos in backups were sent to strange... by oarsinsync on Tuesday February 04, 2020 @02:00PM (#22239561)
> How do I leak my email or photos from my local machine?

Click the 'not now' button when your browser or OS pops up asking you to install a patch.

Open <celebritynude>.jpg.exe.

Download pirated software that is infected with other malware.

Visit dodgy websites in an overly permissive browser in order to stream some media without spending money.

(Most people, myself included, are guilty of at least one, if not more, of the above)

Re:Some Google Photos videos in backups were sent to strange... by uptown on Tuesday February 04, 2020 @03:06PM (#22240330)
"I get an absolutely endless parade of other people's data to my gmail account."

Same. Part of it is just incorrectly addressed emails sent to my primary address. The other flood of emails I receive is on a domain where I've got a catch-all, and I regularly receive emails intended for recipients on a similar domain.

Re:Some Google Photos videos in backups were sent to strange... by dyingkneepad on Tuesday February 04, 2020 @12:32PM (#22238364)
Your experience is far different than mine. In 15 years I only got probably like 2 accidental emails.

Is your email something like [email protected]?

Re:Some Google Photos videos in backups were sent to strange... by trequartista on Tuesday February 04, 2020 @02:40PM (#22240032)
My email is [email protected]. Both my first and last names are not super common, but off-late I'm seeing multiple people with the same combination when I google my name. I get bank statements from 3 different banks, job offers and even the occasional nude selfie - all intended for someone else. I have tried to reply, click on unsubscribe links - but nothing seems to work. It stops for a few days and it starts again.
Re:Some Google Photos videos in backups were sent to strange... by wccrawford on Tuesday February 04, 2020 @01:05PM (#22238791)
I'm somewhere in-between your experience and the parent's. I've had 2-3 instances where it appears that someone put my email address on their account by accident, and I got their auto insurance claims, etc. There was no "click here to verify this is your address" email sent for those.

I also got a lot of email for a high school reunion where the school was named after someone who shares my name... And people routinely left off the numbers in the email address, ending up with mine.

The rest of the not-mine emails all look like phishing attempts to me, and not just mistakes made by some office worker.

Re:Some Google Photos videos in backups were sent to strange... by msh on Tuesday February 04, 2020 @01:41PM (#22239315)
I have firstname + two letters @gmail which rarely gets wrong email but then back from the nineties got firstnamelastname @ Hotmail.com which properly get at least one misdirected mail a month.